Giving trees go up this week for Saint Mary’s University Gifts for Winona

WINONA, Minn. — Saint Mary’s University Gifts for Winona giving trees will be going up before Thanksgiving. This communitywide program — in its 12th year — is providing gifts to area children and seniors in need this holiday season.

Tags, each labeled with a different person’s holiday gift wishes, will be placed on area giving trees this week. Gifts for Winona’s main priority is to provide gifts to children 18 years of age and younger and individuals 60 years of age and older.

Trees will be located at: the three Severson-Sinclair locations, Walmart, the Winona Public Library, the Winona Post, as well as Security State Bank of Lewiston. Additionally, grocery cards can be purchased for families at both HyVee and Midtown Foods.

Individuals who want to help make someone’s season a little merrier should visit one of these locations, take as many tags off the trees as they wish, and return the gifts by Dec. 12 to the tree where they obtained the tags. The recommended amount for holiday gifts is approximately $35 per person. Tags should be securely taped to the outside of the presents or the bag of presents.

As the gift distribution is early this year — mid-December — the community is asked to begin their season of giving early as well. The success of this program depends on the generosity of the Winona-area community.

For more information, call the Gifts for Winona line at (507) 457-8719. Other community partners that join SMU to help make this program possible are the Winona Post, Winona Radio and Winona Volunteer Services.